Street-indicator.



J. HOFERLE. STREET INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, 1912.

1,070,961 Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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J. HOFERLE. STREET INDICATOR.

APPLICATION rmm JUNE 22, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19,1913

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J. HOFERLE.

STREET INDICATOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 22, 1912.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN HOFERLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY A. HOFERLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STREET-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19,1913.

Application filed June 22, 1912. Serial No. 705,238.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN HOFERLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to useful improvements especially in station indicators for street cars, railway trains, etc., and has for its object the provision of a device of this character, which can be accommodated to the direction of travel.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of means whereby in the course of travel the last station at which the car is stopped will be changed prior to starting the car upon the return trip, thus indicating the first stop.

lVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated, in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the device forming the subject matter of the present invention taken along line 11 of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along line H of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the supports for co6peration with the name plate. Figs. 6 and 7 are front elevations of two adjacent and cooperating name plates, illustrating the codperation and. arrangement thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates a casing in which the mechanism forming the subject matter of this invention is mounted and which is attached to the end of the car in any suitable manner, said casing being provided with a transparent exhibit opening 11.

Supported upon the inner face of each end of the casing 10 by the screws 12 is a horizontal plate 13 provided with the slots 13 in the lower edge thereof for the detachable engagement with the screws 12. A plate 1 1 is interposed between the plates 13 and is formed therewith or otherwise secured thereto, said plate 1 1 being arranged at an angle to the horizontal plane. A guide 15 is mounted adjacent to each terminal of the forward edge of the plate 14, said guides forming a bearing or mounting for the slide 16 which is mounted for reciprocation in and between said guides 15. A pair of bearings 17 are mounted upon the plate 14 adjacent to one terminal thereof and have a shaft 18 mounted for rotation therein. The terminal of the shaft 18 adjacent to the forward edge of the plate 14 being provided with a disk 19 which carries a crank pin 20. This crank pin 20 is connected by means of a link 21 to the opposite terminal of the slide 16. From this construction it will readily be seen that as the shaft is rotated the slide 16 will be reciprocated.

In order to provide a means for rotating the shaft 18, a ratchet wheel 22 is keyed to the rear terminal thereof and operates adjacent to a segment 23 which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 18. This segment 23 has a pawl 24: pivoted thereon for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 22, said pawl being operated upon by the spring 25 to insure the engagement thereof with the ratchet wheel. A handle 26 is secured to the segment 23 and projects through the slot 24 in the casing 10, the outer terminal thereof being connected with a suitable operating means 28.

It will clearly be seen from the foregoing that the construction of the segment 23 is such that the movement or rotation of the shaft is limited, that is the sides of the segment or the radii of the circle from which the segment is taken will contact with the plate 14. thus limiting the movement of the segment and necessarily the shaft 18.

Oppositely disposed upon each side of the shaft 18 are bearing blocks 29 in which are mounted the leaf springs 30, said springs extending above and below the shaft 18, as illustrated. An elliptical block 31 is centrally mounted upon the shaft 18 and nor mally rests horizontally between the springs 30. By rotating the shaft 18 through the medium of the ratchet wheel 22 and the pawl 24 carried by the segment 23, the block 31 will be moved through a vertical position and left in angular position. so that the springs 30 will act thereon to cause the same to resume its horizontal position, thereby completing the entire reciprocation of the guides The lower terminal of each plate 32 is recessed as at 38, the utility of which will hereinafter be more fully described. A hearing 3st is formed at the lower terminal of each plate 32 adjacent to the inner side.

of the recess thereof, said bearings being connected. by the rod 35 which adds strength and durability to the device as well as constituting a support for the guiding elements. t shaft 36 is rotatably mounted in the bearings 84land carries the rearwardly extending fingers 37 adjacent to the terminals thereof, said fingers swinging into the re cesses 33 at their upper terminal of movement.

A forwardly extending arm 38 is formed on each bearing and extends therefrom at an angle to the horizontal plane, said arms having arms or plates 39 pivoted, to the terminals thereof. These arms or plates 39 are rectangular in cross section and when located at the lowest limit of their pivotal movement, that is when they are resting upon the stops 4L0 provided therefor, coincide with the arms 38. The rear terminals of these plates or arms 39 are connected by the transversely arranged rod 41 which carries the stops 42 thereon, said stops being arranged transversely with respect to the rod il. The terminals of the rods l1 are provided with guide rails 43 which receive the ends of the lingers 37 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus, it will be seen, that when the shaft 86 is rotated by means of the handle t the fingers 37 will be raised contacting with the guides 43, thus raising the rod a1 and plates or arms 39 about the pivotal pcints of the latter.

The under side of the plate 14 is provi ed with the parallel plates 45 arranged adjacent to the terminals thereof, said plates being located at right angles to the plate 1 An obliquely arranged plate 46 is arranged adjacent to each plate and constitutes a stop for the supports of the sign plates. In order to mount the supports of the sign plates, a pair of hinges T7 are mounted upon the plate 14 adjacent to each plate 46, each pair of hinges 47 having rigidly secured thereto a supporting plate at, illustrated in detail in Fig. Each plate $8 is provided with a hook stop 4-9 which normally bears against the edge of the plate l6. Springs 50 cooperate with the plates a 3 for normally retaining the stops 49 in coiiperation with the plates 46. From this construction it will be understood that the plates i5 and L6 form in combination a pair of channels, one channel located adjacent to each terminal of the plate 1 and that the plates at) form a means of not only guiding the sign plates but of supporting the same in said channels.

lhe rod 35 carries a vertical plate 51 provided with the upwardly extending fingers said fingers terminating adjacent to the forward edge of the plate 1%. This rod also carries the curved guides 53, one of said guides being located centrally at the forward terminal of each channel formed by the plates at: and L6. The rods are so curved that the same constitute guides which extend to the plate bars as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The slide 16 is provided with the depend ent lingers which, extend and are adapted to reciprocate below the forward edge of the plate let, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The sign plates which are used in the heretofore described mechanism constitute a sheet of material provided with the hooks 56 at the terminals thereof. A guide groove or recess 57 is formed adjacent to the hooks Illustrated in Figs. (3 and 7 is a pair of sign plates and 55 said sign plates illustrating a pair of adjacent plates and setting forth the arrangement or the correlation of the various parts thereof. It will be noted that the hooks and the adjacent recesses or grooves 57 of all of the plates coincide and register while the recesses 58 and 59 of the adjacent plates do not register. It will. be noted that the recess 58 of each plate is farther removed from the adjacent hook 56 than the recess 59, thus when the series of the plates 55, 55, etc, are placed together, the recesses 58 and of the plates will expose a portion. of the surface of the next adjacent plate 55 while the recesses 58 and 59 of the plate 55 will also rest over the solid surface of the plate and will expose the surface of the next adjacentplate when the plate is removed.

The plates 55 55 etc, are mounted so that the guides 41:5 engage the recesses 5'? hereof and the hooks 56 are received in H the channels formed by the guides and. adjacent plates 46. These liO-Jh'S are also engaged by the plates 1:8 when the stops 49 thereof engage the plates it"), as is illustrated in Fig. 2. This supports the plates 55 in such a manner that the surface of the forward plate thereof rests against the tingers of the slide 16. Inasmuch as these fingers are spaced from each other a distance equal to the constant space between the recesses 58 and 59, the registration of these fingers with. the recesses 58 and 59 of a plate will permit this plate to pass from its engagement with the supporting plates 48 while the fingers 5st engage the solid surtuted by the plates 45 and 46. The shaft 36 is then rotated raising the arms 39 and rod 41 and consequently the plates 55 carried thereby causing the beveled ends of the hooks 56 to force the plates 48 outwardly against the action of the springs 50 until the hooks are located within the channels formed by the plates 45 and 46, at which time, the plates 48 will spring inwardly and engage said hooks for supporting said plates in their raised positions.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a supporting struc ture; of guides mounted on the under surface thereof; a plurality of plates mounted in said guides; means for singly releasing said plates; a frame mounted below said guides for the reception of the plates therefrom; and means whereby said frame may be raised to return said plates to the guides aforesaid.

2. The combination with a supporting structure; of guides mounted on the under surface thereof; sign plates mounted in said guides; a frame pivoted adjacent to said guides; means for releasing said sign plates singly from engagement by the guides aforesaid; and guides for directing said plates to the frame.

3. A sign plate consisting of a sheet of material provided with supporting hooks being beveled; tapered recesses formed equal distances from said hooks; rectangular recesses formed at non-equal distances from said hooks.

4. The combination with a supporting structure; of vertical plates carried thereby; angularly disposed plates depending from said supporting structure forming guide channels with said vertical plates; a

' hingedly mounted plate located adjacent to each angularly disposed plate; a slide arranged to operate transversely at the terminals of said channels; sign plates mount-- ed in said channels for release upon the reciprocation of the slide aforesaid; and means for receiving said sign plates and returning the same to the channels.

5. The combination with a supporting structure; of vertical plates formed on the under surface thereof; a plate hingedly mounted adjacent to each vertical plate; sign plates mounted between said vertical plates and supported on said hingedlymounted plates; a releasing slide mounted at the forward terminals of said vertical plates, and means for reciprocating said slide.

6. The combination with a supporting structure; of a slide mounted for reciprocation thereon; a shaft arranged adjacent to said slide; a crank carried at one terminal of said shaft; a link connection between said crank and said slide; a ratchet wheel formed on said shaft; a segment loosely mounted on said shaft; and a pawl carried by said segment for engagement with the ratchet wheel aforesaid.

7. The combination with a supporting structure; of a slide mounted for reciprocation thereon; a shaft arranged adjacent to said slide; a crank carried at one terminal of said shaft; a link connectlon between said crank and said slide; a ratchet wheel formed on said shaft; a segment loosely mounted on said shaft; a pawl carried by said segment for engagement with the ratchet wheel aforesaid; an elliptical block formed centrally on said shaft; and leaf springs extending above and below said shaft for engagement with the block aforesaid.

8. The combination with a supporting structure, of vertical guide plates depending therefrom; an angularly disposed spring actuated supporting plate hingedly mounted in said supporting structure adjacent each vertical guide plate; a reciprocatory slide having a dropping finger adjacent each vertical guide plate; and sign plates provided with recesses engaging said vertical guide plates, beveled supporting ends resting on said supporting plates, and recesses adapted to engage said dropping fingers, substantially as described. 4

9. The combination with a supporting structure, of angularly disposed plates depending from said supporting structure; vertical plates depending from said supporting structure adjacent said angularly disposed plates forming with said angularly disposed plates guide channels; a spring held supporting plate hingedly mounted adjacent each angularly disposed plate and provided with a stop engaging such angularly disposed plate; and sign plates in said guide channels, each sign plate being provided with tapering recesses engaging such vertical plates, beveled supporting ends resting on said spring held supporting plates and rectangular at non-equal distances from said tapering recesses, said sign plates being placed in said guiding channels so that the rectangular recesses in adjacent plates will not be in registration, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a supporting structure, of angularly disposed plates de pending from said supporting structure; vertical plates depending from said supporting structure adjacent said angularly disposed plates torniing with said angnlarly disposed plates guide channels; a spring held supporting plate hingedly mounted adjacent each angularly disposed plate and provided with a stop engaging such angularly disposed plate; sign plates in said guide channels, each sign plate being provided with tapering recesses engaging such vertical plates, beveled supporting ends restmg on said spring held supporting plates and rectangular recesses at non-equal distanees from said tapering recesses, said sign plates being placed in said guiding channels so that the rectangular recesses in adjacent plates will not be in registration; a reciprocatory slide having dropping fingers engaging the rectangular recesses in one of said sign plates at one terminal of its niove- 1nent and the rectangular recesses in the next adjacent sign plate at the other terminal of its movement; and means for receiving said sign plates and returning the same to said guiding channels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN HOFERLE.

Witnesses JOSHUA R. H. Po'rTs, ARTHUR A. OLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

